1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an impulse type shock wave flash dyeing machine, which is abbreviated as a shock wave dyeing machine. The dyeing machine of the present invention is an improved version of the spray dyeing apparatus with breadth expansion and vibration-enhanced dyeing operation and is a machine that may be used to carry out the dyeing process and other processes and that is characterized with high efficiency, multiple functions, multiple applications and environmental friendliness.
2. Description of the Prior Art
To slow down the global warming and climate change, many processing technologies have been used in the processing of fibrous fabric. These technologies include shock wave technology, electrochemistry, low-temperature plasma technology, carbon dioxide supercritical fluid technology, biological enzyme technology, supersonic technology, radioactive energy technology, microwave technology, etc. These technologies are characterized with convenience, swiftness, effectiveness, a wide range of applications, environmental friendliness, being able to save dyes and energy and being able to be used with automated computer control devices. Therefore, these technologies have been developed swiftly in many places of the world. However, most dyeing machines of the prior art have only a single application and there has not been any dyeing machine that has multiple functions and multiple applications and that is environmental friendly on the market. In light of the above, the invention with the title of “Spray dyeing apparatus with breadth expansion and vibration-enhanced dyeing operation” has been patented in more than 20 countries: Taiwan (date of application: Feb. 25, 1997; application no.: 86,102,237), China (date of application: Apr. 29, 1997; application no.: ZL97 1 82145.3) the U.S. (date of application: Mar. 31, 1997; application Ser. No.: 828,884), Canada (date of application: Apr. 29, 1997; application no.: 2,288,214), EU (date of application: Apr. 29, 1997; application no.: 97917988.4), India (date of application: May 28, 1997; application no.: 1126/MAS/97), Japan (date of application: Apr. 29, 1997; application no.: 10546452), Korea (date of application: Oct. 28, 1999; application no.: 997009996), etc. To reach the goal of clean processes and to save energy and reduce carbon footprint, the inventor has put a lot of effort into the subject and has successfully come up with the dyeing machine of the present invention by employing new technologies and new approaches.
Because water has been used as the medium in the wet type process of textile products, the textile dyeing and finishing industry has been discharging a lot of contaminated water. The global textile market has been forced to provide green products under the pressure from global warming. Such trend is a tough challenge to the textile dyeing and finishing industry. To reach the goal of continuous development of the textile dyeing and finishing industry, the adoption of clean processing technologies has been regarded as the only solution.
In fact, global warming and climate change have become urgent issues. The textile dyeing and finishing industry should speed up in the adoption of new thinking and employ new processes, use new processing facilities and adopt new methods.
In the dyeing machine of the present invention, to make the machine that saves energy and water and that can carry out processes in a clean manner, fibrous fabric, dyes and processing agents are placed in a high-energy wave field to reach the goal of fast and efficient processes through the wave field. In addition, low-temperature plasma technology is used to reach the goals of waterless process, innovative approach and optimal effect.
As of now, most of the dyeing and finishing machines are wet type machines that can be used for only one purpose at a time. Therefore, they consume an excessive amount of water and energy and seriously pollute the environment. Also, their processing costs are too high and they seriously damage the eco system.
As of now, clean processes in which small amount and many types of fabric may be processed and that is multifunctional are the preferred choice of the textile dyeing and finishing industry. Therefore, green dyeing machines with these three advantages would be the main production facilities in the industry. Many problems and disadvantages still can not be solved in the dyeing machines of the prior art (including the spread-out type and non-spread-out type air flow dyeing machines and the traditional injection type dyeing machine). Such problems and disadvantages include the right portion of the fabric having a different color from that of the left portion, the inconsistency in color for the same patch of fabric, uneven application of the dyes, the fabric circulation wheel being unable to move in sync with the nozzles, the fabric not able to move fast enough, damages caused by friction and collision, the fibers of the fabric being broken by the excessive amount of force exerted by the nozzles, the clogging of the nozzles and the filtering units, the fabric unable to have a pleasant feel, the low efficiency in the bio enzyme process, processes being carried out too slowly, the machine not having enough functions and hence the processes being limited, excessive use of energy and water, etc. Therefore, the cost for the treatment of contaminated water skyrockets. Also, the fabric circulation wheel poses a danger to the users. In addition, finished fabric may not have a good feel. Poor design is the main reason for all of the aforesaid problems. An example would be the uneven heat transfer among the fabric and the dyes, processing fluids and air flow. For example, the inconsistency in color is caused by the more-than-one processing tanks and the uneven division or distribution of the dyes and air flow. It is difficult to equally divide the fluid or flow in a tube into two exactly equal parts (in the prior art, a single tube is divided into two tubes, two tubes are then divided into four tubes and four tubes are divided into eight tubes), resulting the inconsistency in color. To reach the goal of clean processes, the aforesaid problems must be solved simultaneously. In addition, a modification or re-dyeing may be needed when there is an unsatisfactory result and such modification or re-dyeing would be a waste of energy and water and increase the production cost.
There are four stages in the dyeing process:    1. Dye approaches the surfaces of fabric. In this stage, the dyeing process does not correlate with the quality of the dye and the condition that the dye is in. In this stage, the dye molecules dissolved in the solution or fluid or larger pieces or particles of the dye suspended in the fluid or solution move with the dyeing fluid. Also, the speed of the dye depends on the speed of the flow of the dye.    2. A stagnant layer exists between the fabric and the surface. As the dye reaches the stagnant layer, the dye may get closer to the surface via diffusion. In this stage, the speed of the dye depends on the flow of the dye and the diffusion speed of the dye. Dye in a dissolved condition diffuses much faster than dye in a suspension condition does. Therefore, the solubility of the dye determines the speed of the dye.    3. At a certain distance between the dye and the surface of the fabric, the dye would swiftly attach to the surface as the molecular attraction between the dye and surface becomes sufficiently large. In this stage, the speed of the dye is determined by the interaction between the dye and the fabric and the solubility, which plays a more important role. Therefore, the speed of the dye is greater if the interaction is greater or the solubility is higher.    4. After the dye attaches to the surface of the fabric, the difference in concentration level between the inside of the fabric and the outside of the fabric occurs. By the Fick's law, the dye would move from the surface to the interior of the fabric. Now, the speed of the dye is determined by the molecular structure and physical structure as well as the concentration level of the dye. The greater total area of non-crystalline areas is, the greater the speed of the dye moving toward the interior of the fabric is. The greater the pore size is, the greater the speed of the dye is. The greater the concentration level of the dye at the surface is, the greater the speed of the dye is. In this stage, the speed is determined by the levels of expansion and plasticization of the fibers and the concentration level of the dye at the surface.
From the above, we can see that the dyeing speed is determined by the levels of expansion and plasticization of the fabric. In fact, we do not need a large amount of the operating solution to dissolve the dye. If the dye dissolves in an excessive amount of the operating solution in the dyeing process, the operating solution may reduce the contact and interaction between the dye or processing fluid and the fabric. In addition, the majority of the input energy would be absorbed by the operating solution. After the operating solution absorbs the energy, the energy would be used for the revolution of the molecules of the operating solution, the vibration of the atoms of the operating solution and the interactions (between the molecules of the operating solution) that are not correlated to the dyeing process and other process.
To increase the level of solubility of the dye, a certain amount of polar radicals is usually added into the dye. The addition of polar radicals may increase the interaction between the dye and the fabric in few cases. However, it is difficult to process and purify the residual solution after the dyeing process.
Regarding dispersal dye, which has a level of solubility, because it does not have ion radicals, the dyeing process is quite difficult to carry out. A large amount of dispersion agent has to be used to make it suspending in the operating fluid and the state of such suspension is difficult to maintain. In addition, the residual solution is difficult to purify. Therefore, a good way would be to increase the solubility of the dispersal dye to facilitate the dyeing process (reducing the amount of the dispersion agent or not using the dispersion agent).
Regarding synthetic fiber, because it is difficult for such fiber to dissolve in water, it is difficult for the dye to diffuse inside the synthetic fiber. The dyeing process for such fiber usually requires a higher temperature. For example, the temperature has to be raised to 130 degree C. to carry out the dyeing process on the polyester fiber. Such temperature may be lowered if the levels of expansion and plasticization of such fiber are enhanced (the diffusion speed of the dye in such fiber would be increased).
With regard to natural fiber, it has a complicated structure and many cavities, which are filled with air. Therefore, it is difficult for the dye to enter the fibers and dyeing process takes a longer time. With regard to wool, a scale layer exists on the surface of wool and can hinder the entry of dyes. In the past, dyeing at the boiling point is used for the dyeing of wool and such dyeing takes a longer time. Therefore, such dyeing consumes more energy and wool fiber can be damaged. In addition, because reactive dye may react with water at high temperatures and in alkaline solution, the efficiency of dyeing is reduced. Also, after the dyeing process, both the residual solution of the dyeing and the unfixed dyes in the post-treatment are highly polluted solutions.
An important factor in dyeing is that the dyes must first dissolve in the operating solution to become single molecules because only such single molecules can swiftly attach to the fibers and enter into the interior of the fibers. If the physical mechanism generated by waves and high-energy particles of the present invention is used, the solubility of a dye with a lower solubility may be enhanced in an operating solution that has a high level of concentration and is in a small amount; therefore, dyes may be attach to the fiber swiftly, the levels of solubility and plasticization of the fiber may be enhanced and dyes may diffuse swiftly in the fiber. Hence, the overall dyeing speed is enhanced. If a dye having a stronger bonding force with the molecules of the fiber is chosen, the dyeing process may be carried out easily and such dye has a higher level of attachment.
To increase the dyeing speed, we can decrease the amount of water, select an appropriate dyeing machine, enhance the interaction between the dye and fabric, choose dyes suitable for the fabric and use dyeing assisting agent and dyeing medium; in addition, the molecular structure and physical structure of the fiber plays a crucial role. If the fiber undergoes a proper pre-treatment or a pre-treatment that can change the quality of the fiber or the fiber's quality is changed in the dyeing process, the dye may attach to the surface of the fiber more quickly and may diffuse inside the fiber more swiftly; in addition, less time is needed in the dyeing process and a lower temperature is needed. Therefore, the goals of high energy efficiency, carbon footprint reduction and clean processes may be achieved.